Yes! I will write the first chapter tonight. Now, how could I leave you guys with just the prolog? I'm not that mean. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer no Jutsu: Still don't own Naruto...

Chapter 2: Changing of the Guard? Not On My Watch!

Some kids bring lost puppies home, some kittens, normal kids that is. Uzumaki Naruto was anything but normal. Having just found an old man piss drunk in the street, he was helping him to his own apartment. Looking up at the man as the two hobbled along in the rain, the young Naruto did not find hate or malice in the man's eyes. Of course, that might be due to the fact he was drunk, of course, what five year old knows what being drunk is? Wonder what's wrong with him...the people seem to stare at him just as much as me... Further along the two went, the old man still not saying a word. Several of the villagers would mutter a passing 'demon' or 'monster' but more often they would say 'damn samurai' or 'ronin scum'. They really don't seem to like him that much...all the better for him to be my friend! In spite of the glares he was receiving, Naruto kept smiling as he led the elderly man up the stairs of his apartment building. Leaning the man against the wall beside his door(can't expect him to stand on his own...), Naruto stood on the tips of his toes to unlock the door. The old man raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing as he was lead inside by the young blonde.

"Finally, that rain was getting pretty bad, eh?" Naruto asked the man once he sat him down at his dinner table. The apartment, small as it was, had all the basics of living: kitchen, bathroom, bed, TV, cabinet full of instant ramen, Naruto couldn't be happier here, especially now that he had a companion. With a groan, the old man rubbed his head and looked through his fingers at the small boy sitting across from him, sipping on a can of orange soda. He then tilted his head down to look at the can set out for him. Groaning, he popped the cap and took a drink. Damn, I hate soda...

"So..." Naruto started, the senior looked up at him with a quirked eyebrow. Now out of the twilight, Naruto could make out what the man looked like. He was quite old, perhaps in his late 60's. His white hair was tied in a sloppy bun and a long, weathered beard fell down past his chest. He was wearing a tattered cloak, but underneath Naruto could see rusty armor. His walking stick, which Naruto had leaned up against the table, was thick and curved, it looked to be a wooden sword. What caught his attention the most, however, was the peculiar symbol on the armor covering his armor. He could make it out through one of the holes in the tattered cloak and was staring intently at it.

"What is it kid?" Naruto's attention snapped up to look at the man. He was still clutching his head, but seemed to be more attentive than he was on the way over.

"Uh, it's that symbol, it's not the one of the village..." Naruto heard the man chuckle.

"No kid, it's not. Anyway, thanks for the...soda...and the shelter." He moved to get up. No...he's gonna leave. Just like the others, he doesn't want to be my friend... As the man moved past the boy, he heard a sniffle. Stopping, he groaned and looked down at the blonde.

"What is it kid?" He asked.

"W...why...do you wanna...leave..." Naruto got out through sniffs.

"Look kid, I really thank you for helping me out there, but I'm sure your parents won't like you picking up strangers off the street. I really think I should be out of here before they kick me out." He made to open the door. He stopped once again when he heard the kid croak out a reply.

"I...don't have any parents..." Naruto said.

"Oh come on kid, you have to have parents. Who lives here with you?"

"I...live here by myself..." That hit the old man. He scanned the room and saw only one bed. He fought down the feeling that if he asked more questions, he was going to regret it and sat back down.

"You live here by yourself? What are you, four?" He asked, taking another drink from his soda. This stuff isn't half bad once you get used to it...

"I'm five! I'll be six in a few days!" Naruto all but yelled at the man. He didn't mean to, it just slipped out. Instead of being angry, the old man just chuckled.

"Well, aren't you a spry thing. Still, don't you think you're a bit young to be living by yourself? Don't you have a guardian of some sort?" He asked.

"I live by myself because I have to..." Naruto's blue eyes seemed to dim as he continued. "When I lived at the orphanage, no one would take me home..." He started to sniff again, but held in his tears. The old man sized the boy up. Well, well. Seems the boy has had a hard life, not like it's my problem...we all have our own personal demons...

"Out of curiosity, why did you help me back there? I don't remember asking for any help." Of course, I was piss drunk...I don't think I asked for help...

"...you're like me..." This caught the mans' attention. He wasn't expecting that from the boy. Taking the silence as a show to continue, Naruto explained. "That man...in the bar. He said he didn't want you there...and the villagers...they looked at you like they look at me..." His voice trailed off. The man stared at him with vacant eyes, it made Naruto feel like a hole was being bored through his skull. Rubbing his head again, the old man cursed under his breath.

"Kid, what do you want from me? Look, the people in this country have a reason to hate me, I'm sure you're just exaggerating how they treat you..." He was cut off by an irate Naruto.

"No! They are all like that! They call me 'demon' and 'monster' and kick me out of the park! No one will even talk to me anymore, I...I don't have any friends or family..." He stopped and whipped his eyes. "I just want a friend..." He looked up at the old man with pleading eyes.

Damn it...he looks just like... The old man shook his head. They were different people he told himself. He turned in his chair and looked out the window at the rain pouring down, hitting the glass.

"Look, I'm a ronin. I'm passing through here because I don't have a place to stay. I can't be your friend because I won't be around much longer. I was heading out of town tonight when I stopped by that bar for a drink." He could still hear the young blonde boy fighting back emotion, so he didn't turn to meet his gaze. Do not get attached, do not get attached... He repeated this mantra through his mind as he adverted his gaze from the boy.

Thinking for several moments, the young Naruto remembered the villagers calling the man a 'ronin' before. Desperate to keep the man around for as long as possible, Naruto lead the conversation away from the man leaving.

"Hey mister, what's a ronin?" Naruto asked. The old man turned to look at him with confused eyes before he answered.

"Don't they teach you that in school? I know there aren't many of us this far north, but I would at least think they would mention us in history class." He noticed the blonde stiffen and frown.

"The teachers at school don't teach me anything...they are the same as the villagers." Naruto said as gritted his teeth in a mixture of anger and sadness. The old man blinked at him and his eye twitched. He ran his hand through his long beard. What the hell does this kid have to put up with? No! Don't get attached, don't get attached!

Desperate to bring the topic away from troubled childhoods, the old man answered the original question. "Well, a ronin is a samurai without a lord. Really though, he's just a mercenary." Noticing the confused look on the boys face, the old man sighed. "A samurai is a swordsman from the south. You guys up here are mostly taught Ninjitsu, while the south is Bushido; and before you ask, bushido is the code of the samurai. Basically, a samurai is a trained warrior specializing in swords that follows a code of conduct and serves a lord, a ronin is a samurai without a lord to serve. It's completely different from what you're used to and takes many years to master, trust me."

"So...you're kinda like a ninja without a village? You take jobs like us, only you don't report to anyone." Naruto stated with squinted eyes. He was in his classic 'Naruto thinking pose'.

Smart kid... "Yeah, that's about as simple as I can put it." He groaned when he saw the boy start to put together a few thoughts.

"So...you take jobs from anyone?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah..." Answered the man, now thoroughly suspicious of the young boy.

Naruto broke out into a smile that threatened to take over his whole face making his eyes squinted in a way that one would wonder how he could see. "I wanna hire you for a job!" Silence passed over the apartment as neither person said anything. The old man leveled his gaze at the blonde.

"And what exactly would this job be and what would the pay be?" The senior samurai asked. Guess I'll humor the kid.

"Ummmm..." Naruto seemed to be caught off guard now that the man actually asked him what he wanted. I've got to keep him here! He'll be my friend if I do... "Uh...oh! Teach me to be a samurai! You can stay here until you're done! You said yourself that you don't have a place to live, as payment you can live here!" Please...I don't want to be alone anymore...

"Kid, you're in a ninja village. Why would you want to be a samurai? It's your history here, why would you want to toss that away?" ...why do I care? It's not like I'm considering this...

"It's not like I can't learn both! I'm going to be the future Hokage! If this bukido or whatever will help me, I'll learn it!" He was trying to keep his mask of confidence up, but the old man could see though it. Don't get attached, don't get attached...DAMN IT! He reminds me to much of Ellas...

The old man once again buried his head in his hands. After a few nervous moments he looked at Naruto with a piercing gaze. "Are you sure about this kid? You've seen how much people dislike samurai here, are you sure you need more hate than you already say you have?"

Naruto thought for a moment. Well, it's not like they can hate me anymore than they already do... Naruto, his mind made up, nodded furiously at the old man who promptly sighed.

"Damn kids...fine. You put a roof over my head and I'll teach you everything I know about Bushido. When do you start official ninjitsu training?" He asked.

"Ummm...well, right now we're learning the basics. After we turn six we get to go to classes that are just for ninja training. It's called the 'Ninja Academy' and I'll be learning form Iruka-sensei along with the other kids." He had met Iruka before. While he didn't speak much to him, Naruto noticed he wasn't as mean as the other teachers. He was actually looking forward to the coming classes.

"Ok then, I'll teach you the basics of the Kenjutsu and have you memorize the codes of Bushido before you start your ninja training. Now, since you want to combine the two so much, you'll have to be the one to do it, I know nothing about ninjitsu, so don't ask me. We agreed?" The old man asked, holding out his hand over the table. I can't believe I'm agreeing to do this...

Naruto blinked for a moment before smiling and shaking the mans' hand, threatening to tear it off. "Yeah, old man! I'll learn this samurai thing easy!" The old man pried his young charge's grip off his hand and sighed.

"First, this is not going to be summer camp, understand? It's going to take years to learn and decades to master..." He was cut off by the young blonde.

"NANI!" His mouth threatened to hit the table. The old man slapped his hand to his head.

"What do you think Bushido is, kid? It's just as complex as your ninjitsu!" He yelled back.

"Stop calling me kid you old geezer! It may take years for regular people, but I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I'll have the entire Bushido thing down in a year!" He boasted as he scratched his nose. His companion across the table had his eyes closed muttering curses under his breath. Taking a few moments to calm himself, the senior smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"We'll see how long you can keep that attitude up kid, training starts tomorrow morning at 5:00am." He got up and walked over to the boy. Reaching inside of his cloak, he pulled out a thick scroll and set it out in front of Naruto. "There, learn this before tomorrow. It's about the basic philosophy of Bushido, commit it to memory." He left a grumbling Naruto in the kitchen and walked over to the small couch. Propping his 'walking stick' up beside him, he collapses on the soft cushions.

"Hey, old geezer." Naruto called out over his shoulder. The old man cursed and sat up.

"What kid?" He asked, keeping certain explicative out of his reply. I. Want. Sleep!

"What should I call you?"

"...well, my name is Shouyou Sugi. Call me what you want." Sugi said as he turned back over.

"Sure...Gramps." Naruto chuckled as he heard muffled curses coming from his couch. He looked over the old man and smiled before going back to studying the Bushido scroll.